


Alarm

by Higgystar



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-15
Updated: 2014-10-15
Packaged: 2018-02-21 08:00:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2460815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Higgystar/pseuds/Higgystar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt from tumblr: Daryl has a panic attack, Rick stands aside as Merle helps.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Alarm

Things at the farm have been calm the past few days and Rick doesn’t know if that’s something to be relieved or worried by. There haven’t been any walkers at the fences, Carl was healing more and more each day and things were beginning to actually settle into a modicum of calm. They could settle here, they could have a life here with safety and fences keeping the worst of it all out until things got better. It’s a dream sure, but what was life without hope? And right now with Lori pregnant, they’re in need of hope more than anything.

Even the Dixon brothers have been getting on better with everyone else lately. They hunt and bring in the catches, and although their tent is set up a little away from the main camp, they are helping more and more. Since finding Sophia the two of them actually spoke to the rest of the group instead of keeping to themselves, they helped with the chores and though they were still a little abrasive, it was nothing compared to how they had been at the quarry.

He’s helping Daryl with the day’s squirrel catch when it happens. They’re simply walking back to camp, nothing out of he ordinary as far as Rick’s concerned, and he’s trying to start a conversation with Daryl. It’s nothing much, but despite the Dixon’s getting more relaxed around camp, the younger man was still quiet, still wary and Rick wanted to try and fix whatever gap there was between them.

“You know I’ve been thinking maybe you guys should move your tent closer to camp. Would be safer having you further away from the perimeter, there’s no reason for you to be so far out.” He points out, still walking beside Daryl but trying to meet the other man’s eyes. It doesn’t seem to work and as usual Daryl merely shrugs in answer, not looking anywhere near his face and kicking at the grass as they walk. Rick wonders if he’s ever done anything to offend the other man and if there was a grudge being held against him for it. Daryl never seems to want to talk to him, always looking away and shifting from being near him. “I mean it.” He tries again, wanting to at least manage a simple conversation.

Still Daryl doesn’t reply and instead begins chewing on his thumbnail, still looking at the ground and not meeting Rick’s eye. He hates that, it reminds him of guilty criminals during questioning and he doesn’t want to ever see Daryl in that light. So pausing he reaches out to grab Daryl’s shoulder, pulling the other man to face him and stopping their progress towards the camp.

“Daryl have I done something to piss you off?” There’s a moment of pause, Daryl still looking at the floor between his feet and nibbling on his thumbnail before he shakes his head. There’s a small flinch and Daryl goes to draw away, but this is a conversation they need to have to clear the air and Rick doesn’t let go of his shoulder. “You need to talk to me, I must have done something wrong because you can barely stand to be near me. I just want to clear the air Daryl, we can’t have a split in the group.”

The other man seems unable to look at him for whatever reason, Daryl’s eyes dart about across the ground, even managing to make it to Rick’s shoulders before darting back down again. He watches as Daryl shifts in place, still trying to draw away from him and breathing a little heavier. All he wants is an answer, that wasn’t too much to ask for was it?

He’s trying his best to be patient, he really is, but Daryl reminds him of when Carl was being stubborn, refusing to speak and acting like a petulant brat. Sighing a little he rubs at the back of his neck, hating that he’s caused whatever rift there was between them without even knowing. Daryl stops chewing on his thumb, tugging at the collar of his shirt and looking a little flushed. Looking him over Rick can see that he’s flushed, more so than the usual colour brought on by the heat of the day. The sweat beading on Daryl’s forehead is gathering and now he thinks about it, his breathing is quicker than normal.

“Hey you okay?” Rick asks, tilting his head to try and see where Daryl has his face tilted downwards and noting the way his shoulders are shaking beneath his grip. “Daryl?” He questions again, moving his grip to be more gentle, shifting to try and get a good look at the other man and noticing just how erratic his breathing was becoming with every second. “Hey man calm down, what’s wrong?” He asks and when Daryl finally does speak, he sounds choked, gasping a little and clutching at his shirt.

“C-c-can’t breathe.” Daryl mutters before giving a loud heaving gasp. He’s shuddering all over, the sweat that’s beading on his brow looks to be massing and Rick is getting seriously worried now.

“What the hell?” Moving closer to the other man he notices the flinch but ignores it, moving to clasp Daryl’s shoulder and get a better look at him. “You hurt?” There’s worry going through his mind, fears of bites and scratches, remembering being told about the fever that burns you out from the inside and praying that that’s not the reason Daryl was finding it hard to breathe. “Just calm down alright?” He’s not sure if he’s talking to himself or Daryl to be honest. “Daryl try not to panic.”

Immediately Daryl is shaking his head, wheezing loudly, keeling over a little bit and still shaking like a man possessed. Rick feels panicked himself, he’s never been good with medical situations and right now Daryl was definitely looking unwell. “C-can’t.” Daryl huffs, panting deeply and grabbing at his shirtfront. “C-c-can’t.”

He’s never seen Daryl look so wrecked before. It’s frightening and Rick really isn’t sure what to do right now. “Try and take deep breaths if you can, try and calm down alright?” He glances about for help, wondering whether to drag Daryl to Hershel or to try and help him right now. Either way he’s lost, so when he’s shoved aside it’s a relief to hear someone else’s voice.

“Out of the way Officer Friendly.”

Merle. Thank God, if there was anyone that could deal with Daryl the best it was his brother. Still Rick finds himself on edge, worrying as he watches Daryl move to cling to Merle with still shaking fingers. “What’s happening?” He asks, stepping closer, needing answers and worried for Daryl as well as everyone else. If he’s been bit, there’s no way of knowing what they could do to help. “Merle? Is he okay?” He asks the older Dixon, fully aware that Daryl didn’t look to be able to talk right about now.

Rick watches as Merle grabs at his brother, moving with slow and easy actions to hold him up properly and stop Daryl from curling in on himself. Merle moves with a sense of understanding, making quiet hushing noises in the back of his throat as he moves his brother easily. It’s fascinating to see and though there’s still the worry of watching Daryl being unable to breathe, Rick is glad that someone has got a sense of control over this whole thing. The questions still circle in his head, but Merle gives an easy grin in his direction whilst patting on Daryl’s back.

“He’s just fine, right little brother?” Merle chuckles, that smile on his face as he runs his hands over Daryl’s sides, his fingers slipping to undo the buttons of his younger brother’s shirt for him. “It’s just a panic attack, he’s had ‘em before but he got through it last time and he’ll get through it again won’t you Daryl?” He’s mainly speaking to him but Rick also knows the words are for Daryl’s benefit also. It doesn’t seem to help much and Daryl is still choking on nothing as he clutches at his brother.

“Should I go get Hershel?” Rick asks, shifting his weight from foot to foot, desperate to help but also nervous of doing the wrong thing. He lingers on the edge of their vision, a third wheel, the only one not related and the only one with no clue what to do during a panic attack. It makes him feel even more on edge and he’s afraid for Daryl since he doesn’t know anything about all of this.

“No, no we’re fine.” Merle shakes his head, still with an easy smile on his face and not looking panicked at all. Rick wonders how much of it is a true smile and how much is for Daryl’s benefit. “We’re just fine here. We’re just going to sit here for a while right brother?” Daryl doesn’t seem to be able to answer, Rick watches as the younger Dixon’s fingers clench in Merle’s shirt, seemingly spasming as he continues to pant for air. “Come on sit with me and we’ll fix this.”

Rick can only watch as Merle manages to ease Daryl down to the floor to sit on the grass, the pair of them beside each other and Merle looking over Daryl every so often. It’s strange to see the Dixons so quiet, usually Merle is so loud with Daryl following along behind him and riling him up even more, the pair of them more of a problem most of the time. But here they’re quiet, Merle still making hushing noises as Daryl gasps for breath, still sweating and looking scared.

He’s never seen the Dixons as more than a potential problem for the group, even if they’ve settled enough to be useful, he and Shane have always kept an eye on the pair of them. Right now though they’re just brothers, with Merle allowing Daryl to rest his head on his shoulder without so much as a question and Rick edges a little closer before speaking quietly.

“Merle? Is there anything I can do to help?” He asks, voice low, not wanting to disrupt but desperate to fix the problem that he may have had a hand in causing.

Merle gives a small chuckle before turning back to Daryl, slinging an arm around Daryl’s back and jostling the younger Dixon a little. “See even Rick wants to help you out because you’re being such a drama queen.” Daryl doesn’t seem to find Merle’s attempt at humour amusing, still gagging on air and clinging to his brother’s shirt. Merle gives a small sigh, leaning in closer to Daryl and Rick is sure he can only hear what he’s saying because Merle allows him to. “Listen to me, we’re going to sit here together and Rick’s going to sit over there so he can make sure you’re alright. He’s just worried about you okay?”

He takes the hint and drops to his knees on the grass, a decent distance away to not be a threat but close enough to be a help if needed. Truth is he is worried, he’s never seen Daryl out of control like this, panting for air and unable to help himself. It’s frightening and he’s glad that Merle is here to help where he’s useless.

Daryl is trembling, lifting his head from his brother’s shoulder enough to wheeze out a reply. “Mer, I c-can’t…”

“Yes you can.” His brother tells him and Rick wonders if being so firm with his words is the best thing right now. But he figures Merle knows best, even if it seems harsh. “I know it’s scary, but it’s not dangerous. You’ve been through this before and you’ve been fine afterwards.” Merle continues and Rick wonders just how many times they’ve been through this same scenario. This isn’t the first time that Daryl’s had a panic attack, but it’s the first time Rick’s seen one and he doesn’t intend to miss how to deal with it.

Daryl is still sweating, panting on air and clutching at both Merle’s shirt and his own chest, seemingly desperate for help. Yet through it all Merle doesn’t panic. In fact the older brother seems pretty calm despite everything that’s happening, moving slowly when he has to and keeping his voice at a low and even tone whenever he speaks to his brother.

“Remember what we did last time?” Merle murmurs, just loud enough for Rick to hear even as he stays to the side. He watches as Daryl manages a nod, shaky but definitely there in response. “With the breathing? Let’s try that again. Take a deep breath in and hold it for five.” Merle instructs but suddenly Daryl is bolting upright, scratching at his throat and quivering.

“I can’t!”

“Sure you can.” And still Merle’s voice is calm, level, not worrying at all as he leans in to his younger brother, pulling away his scratching fingers to press a palm flat to Daryl’s chest lightly. “Look, see my hand here? You can’t breathe out until I push on you. So breathe in and we’ll count to five.” It takes a moment of patience but finally Rick sees when Daryl manages to suck in a shaky breath, chest filling out with a lungful of air as Merle begins to count slowly. “One, two, three, four, five.” And Daryl exhales with a huff, still trembling, but already Rick can see he doesn’t look so pale. “See? Good job now let’s do that again.”

Rick watches for a while as Merle continues talking about breathing, still with his palm on Daryl’s chest and easing his breathing in and out. They continue reciting numbers, and he can see the moment that Daryl gets his breathing back to relatively normal and begins mumbling the numbers along with his brother. He doesn’t dare to interrupt even if there are questions still echoing around his head, right now this wasn’t about him, it was about Daryl and getting him to a more stable state of mind.

He’s never seen a panic attack before but he’d been told about them back on the force, when there were reports of people sometimes having them about being arrested or faking them to get out of the cell. Still he can’t recall a lot of his training, but the only thing that sticks out in his mind is something about going through the sensation of dying. Honestly that sounded terrifying, and if that is what Daryl was going through then it’s no wonder he thought he couldn’t breathe. Had he been the one to set it off?

Maybe he needed to keep this in mind the next time he spoke to Daryl and learnt to look out for the signs. Daryl hadn’t been responding to him or giving him any answers before, maybe he’d managed to get overwhelmed by his questions? He should have seen it, he should have taken note and forgotten about his own wants and focussed on Daryl instead. Honestly he’d never thought one of the Dixons would have something like this happen to them, they seemed too strong, too sure of themselves, but know he knew different.

It takes a while before he’s able to focus on the brothers again, determined to learn more and not make this about him. If Daryl had to go through something like this, then he could at least have the decency to pay attention and learn how to cope with it in case it happened again in the future.

“Can you tell me what’s bothering you?” Merle asks when Daryl’s breathing better, he’s sitting straighter and looking better in colour as well.

Daryl shakes his head but still answers, his voice stuttering over letters and blurting out too fast at some points. But Rick gets a general understanding, and it seems that Merle can read between the lines and understand even better than himself when Daryl replies. “Th-there’s too many people. I don’t- I don’t want to… Merle I can’t, they’re gonna see and they’re gonna know and I can’t, I don’t want…”

“Shush.” And like that Merle is cutting him off, hand still on Daryl’s chest and leaning down enough to let their eyes meet. “So it’s not the actual people bothering you, it’s the thought of what they might think?” Daryl gives a shaky nod, hiccupping a little on his next breath. “Breathe again, in for five, out for five.” And there’s a pause in the conversation as Merle gets Daryl counting again.

They take their time breathing together and Rick feels the guilt eat away at him a little. It had been his fault that Daryl had started panicking. People were the problem, and he’d been so insistent on moving the Dixons closer to camp and getting to know Daryl better. Pushy, that’s what he’d been.

Merle takes a moment to runs his fingers through Daryl’s hair and it seems to help, Daryl is breathing easier, and not looking quite like he’s going to run off any second. “That’s not a problem Daryl, that’s why we’ve got our camp away from theirs for the minute.” His brother continues and damn the guilt churns in Rick’s stomach even more. “Till we know we can trust these city slickers we’ll keep to ourselves right? Ain’t no problem in that.”

“But Rick said-“ And Daryl’s eyes flick over to where he sits, Merle’s following suit and Rick has to duck his head in shame at having caused all of this. He didn’t know this would happen, if he had he never would have pushed Daryl as much as he had.

“Don’t you pay no mind to what Rick said.” Merle scoffs, dragging back Daryl’s attention to ignore him again. “He’s just a nosey cop, doesn’t know that we Dixon’s stick together until we can trust people properly is all.” The older Dixon laughs and Rick glances up enough to see a small smile flicker on the edge of Daryl’s lips. “Ain’t no problem, ain’t nothing for you to worry about. Nothin’ is gonna change, nothin’ is gonna happen that’s gonna be dangerous and you and me? We’re both fine.” Merle gestures to them both and Daryl gives a small nod of understanding before slumping back onto his brother’s shoulder.

It seems to be enough and though Rick can still see Daryl is trembling a little, he seems better, safer with his older brother. All the worries he’s ever had about the Dixon brothers seems unfounded now he’s seen this, and the guilt mixes with his initial assumptions of them to make him feel like a complete asshole. What kind of a leader was he going to be for the group if he can’t get over his initial reactions to help them out?

Getting to his feet slowly, Rick is careful not to disturb the pair of them. He doesn’t want to me more of a problem than he already has and right now they could do without him interfering. Still when he glances their way and finds Merle watching him he gives a small nod of understanding, getting one in return before he leaves back to camp, intending to make sure that everyone else leave the Dixons alone for the rest of the day.


End file.
